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Page 27

iXon 3

Features & Functionality

3.2.1 - Cooling options

The heat that builds up on the heat sink must be removed and this can be achieved in one of the two following ways:

Air cooling: a small built-in fan forces air over the heat sink

2. Water cooling: external water is circulated through the heat sink using the water connectors on the head and this

can take one of the following forms:

• Recirculation

• Chilling

All Andor iXon3 systems support both cooling options. Whichever method is being employed, it is not desirable for

the operating temperature of the CCD simply to be dependent on, or vary with, the heat sink temperature. Therefore,

a temperature sensor on the CCD (combined with a feedback circuit that controls the operating current of the cooler)

allows stabilization of the CCD to any desired temperature within the cooler operating range.

3.2.2 - Fan settings

The speed of the cooling fan can also be controlled, useful if working in experimental congurations which are extremely

sensitive to vibration. The vast majority of applications, including optical microscopy, can be used with the default

highest fan speed, since the vibrations from the fan are minimal. However, some applications can be extremely sensitive

to even the smallest of vibrations (such as when combining an optical set-up with patch clamp electrophysiology or

atomic force microscopy) and it can be useful to either select a slower fan speed, or to temporarily turn off the fan

altogether, for the duration of the acquisition.

If the fan is being turned off altogether, depending on the cooling temperature selected and on the ambient temperature,

the acquisition duration can be as long as 15 - 20 minutes before temperature begins to rise. The fan must then be

turned on again to give the head time to re-stabilize (dissipate built-up excess heat from the peltier TE cooler) before the

next acquisition is begun.

NOTE: If water cooling is being used, the fan can be turned off and exceptional cooling performance maintained

indenitely.

3.3 - SENSOR READOUT OPTIMIZATION

Toallowthecameratobeoptimizedforthewidestrangeofapplicationsitisimportanttohaveexibilityinthereadout

options available, some of these include:

•Cooling(pleaseseepage 34)

•Sensorpreampsettings

•Variablehorizontalreadoutrate

•Variableverticalshiftspeed

•Outputamplierselection

•Baselinesettings

•Binningandsubimagesettings

These options and an explanation of how to optimize them are explained on pages 36 - 42.

Andor Technology iXon3 Series User Manual

Questions and Answers: